Rotary printing press



Aug. 24 1926.

1,597,495 B.-C. WHITE ROTARY PRINTI NG PRESS Filed August 28, 1924 ll 20,3 III: F u 1; 74 El 2 r I] anomtoz Patented Aug. 24, 1926 UNITED s TEsBRUCE CLABKWHITE, DECEASED, LATE or New YORK, N. at; BY

v WHITE, EXEGUTRIX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PATENT OFFICE'Q MARIA. Louisa ROTARY rnnv'rme Please."

i Application filed August'28, 1924. Serial No. 734,666. A

This invention relates generally to rotary printing presses of the typein which a rotary sheet carrier is arranged to present individual sheetsto the printing rolls. The present invention has more particularreference to the construction and operation of the sheet gripper deviceswith which the rotary carrier is equipped, the gripper device formingthe subject-matterof the present application being shown in part in aprevious application for patent filed by Bruce CVWhite on April'lS,1922; Serial No. 554,886. j

The present invention has for an object to provide a a novel andimproved sheet gripper for the rotary carrier in which the gripperelement is normally retained in gripping "position by spring means, andis opened by a positive operating element which is connected in'com'monto a series of grippers while the spring closures thereof ensure ofindependent gripping action of each one of the series.

A further object of the invention is the provision of areadilydetachable mounting for the rock shaft which moves the grippersto open position, thereby facilitating replacement of any individualgripper, or series of grippers." I I v v For further comprehension ofthe invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference ishad to the following description and accompanying drawing,-

and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of theinvention are.

more particularl set forth.

Fig. 1 of the rawings is a view showing theimproved gripper as mountedon the carrier element, the gripper being shown in side elevation, andthe supporting bar and rock shaft in transverse section.

Fig. 2 is an elevational View at right angles to Fig. 1, one of thecarrier rings being shown in transverse section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sec tional view taken on'the'line3-'-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line i-4of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 isa detailed perspective view showing the manner of connecting toits end elements the removable intermediate portion of the rock shaftwhich operates the grlppers. 1 i 1 Fig. 6 ing a slightly modifiedconstruction of gripper jaw connections.-

In printing presses of the type to which the invention is designed forapplication, the rotary sheet carrier comprises a pair of rings spacedaxially from one another and rigidly united by a series ofcross bar-s,

is a fragmentaryside view show these cross bars serving alsoas supportsfor the sheet grippers. In Figs l and 20f the drawing I have indicatedat 10 a portion of one of the rings of the sheet carrier, which latteris commonly referred to generally as the carrier ring, one of the crossbars being indicated at 11, these cross" bars being commonly.

called gripper bars- My improved gripper comprises a finger-12, which isfixed at one end to the inner face of the. bar 11 and which projectstransversely to the' latter. A movable finger l8co-o'perates with" thefinger 12, thisfinger 13 being located outward of the fixed finger 12andhaving pivotally attached thereto, a relatively short distance from itsgripping end, the free ends of a pair of short, rigid, links l4\ whoseopposite ends are pivotally connected to the fixed finger 12, on whichlatter the links 14 are arranged to swing. The movable finger 13nor'mallyextends at an angle to the fixed finger 12, and to cause theircontiguous faces to make substantiallyfiat contact with each other atthe ends thereof,

where the sheet is gripped,'these end por ions'on' therespective-fingers are oppositely bevelled as shown. r -The opposite endof the movable finger 13 is pivotally connected'to' a short arm on arock shaft 16 extending along the rear or following side "of the bar 11and supported in bearing blocks such E1817 removably secured to said baras by the screws 18. This arm consists simply of a collar 20- whichfreely encircles the shaft 16 and which is extended or thickened at oneside as shown atQO, this extension being of rectangular form. Thisextension 20" is formed with projecting stud 24 which may beconveniently held in place by passing one of the screws-through atransverse groove or recess in said pin.

The shaft 16 is utilized to open the grip-' per finger 13 which latteris moved to, an held in closed positionby means of angexpansion spring26 which surrounds a rod 27 whiclr has one end forked as at 28 to"straddle the said finger and which is pivotally attached theretoco-axially with the links 14,. The spring26 bears at one end against theenlarged fork end 28 of the rod 27 and at its other end against a guidebracket 29, for the rod. This bracket 29 is fixed to the bar 11 and hasan aperture therein through which the rod 27 passes with sufficientlyloose fit to permit 'of slight angular movementof the rod with respectto the bracket In the operation of the gripper the shaft 16 is rocked atthe appropriatetimeby "a, suitable cam in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. ,1 of

the drawing. As will be apparent from the relative disposition ofgtheparts, this movementpf the shaft will cause the point of the gripperfinger, 13 to be both moved transversely away from the fixed finger 12and "also, drawn backward from the point of thefixed finger.

I o facilitate changing or adjusting any of the grippers, when desiredthe main length o f the shaft 16,, which carrie they'gri'ppers and issupported 'by -the bearing blocks 17, is detachably, connected withopposite end portions which are rotatively supported by the rings of thesheet carrier, one of these end portions being shown at 16. vAs here.

shown the main length of shaft-is flattened on opposite sides at its endas at 31 while theshaft elements 16 are formed at their ends, withcomplementary recesses 32. 'By withdrawing the connection screws 11 thecross bar 11 together with itsconn'ected shaftand gripper parts maybereadily removeclas a unit from between the opposite carrier ring 10, andtheir removal the flattened shaft ends will slide through the recesses32of the shaft elements 16, r In Fig, 6 of the drawing I have indicatedslightly modifiedconstruction in which the nk 1 are. mit d a th movablefinger 35, is of angular form and is 'pivotally connected at one end tothe fixed finger. n te b "t i n e 51a is epie P ien ,i fQn n 9f, an e in'3 os P- posite end is arranged for connection to the part 20: similarlyto the connection of the mounting for saidmovable finger between itsends, a spring urging said movable finger to gripping position-,-andmeans. for releasing said movable finger by the move-v ment of saidrockarm. 4

t 2. A sheet gripper for; rotary sheet carrier comprising a, fixedfinger, a movable finger co-o crating therewith, a rock shaft, an arm ajustably fixed tq said shaft to vary the gripping action of saidmovablefinger, means for pivotal'ly connecting. said arm to the inner end ofsaid movable finger, means for; providing a "swinging fulcrum mountingfor said movable finger between its ends, a spring urging said movablefinger to gripping position, and means for releasing said movable fingerby the move: ment of said'rock shaft., I

3. A sheet gripper for a rotary carrier comprising a fixed finger, amovable finger co-opjerat'ing therewith a det'achably mounted rockshaft, an armyadjustably fixed to said rock shaft to vary the :grippingaction of said movable finger, means for pivotally connecting, said armto the inner end, of said ;movable finger, ineans for providing aswinging fulcrumzmount ing for said movable finger between its ends, anda spring urging saidmovable finger to g'rip'ping position. V v

4. A' "sheet gripper for a rotary sheet carrier comprising a fixedfinger a movable finger co-operating therewith, means providing aswinging fulcrum mounting for said movable fin er between its ends, aspringiurging "sai l m v able finger. to *gripping position, a rockshaft, and an arm. on

said rock shaft connected to said finger to move the sametoreleasingftposition.

5. A sheet gripper for a rotary sheet carrier comprisinga fixed finger,a movable finger cooperating therewith, means providing a swingingfulcrum mounting for said movable finger between its ends, a

spring urging sai-dmovable finger to grip-- ping positiom a rock shaft,and an arm on said rock shaft connected to said finger to move the sameto releasing position and a pair'of screws threaded into the hub of saidconnect the shaftto thearm. 1

arm and engaging said shaft to op eratively 6. A sheet gripper for arotary sheet carrier comprising a fixed finger, a movable finger, a pairof links pivotally connected at the opposite ends to said fixed fingerand movable finger near the gripping ends thereof, a rock shaft, an armon said rock shaft connected to the other end of the movable finger tomove the latter to open position, and a spring urging said movablefinger to closed position.

7. A sheet gripper for a rotary sheet carrier comprising a fixed finger,a movable finger, a pair of links pivotally connected at opposite endsto said fixed finger and movable finger near the gripping ends thereof,a rock shaft, an arm on said rock shaft connected to the other end ofthe movable finger to move the latter to open position, a s ring urgingsaid movable finger to close position, and a slidable rod connected atone end to said movable finger and around which said spring is coiled.

8. In sheet gripping means for a rotary sheet carrier, a gripper bar, agripper operating shaft extending along said bar, said shaft comprisingan intermediate portion,

and end portions separately connected to said intermediate portion, andbearing blocks carried by said bar and supporting said intermediateportion.

9. In sheet gripping means for a rotary sheet carrier having a pair ofoppositely spaced rings, a gripper bar detachably secured at its ends tosaid rings, a gripper operating shaft extending along said bar, saidshaft comprising an intermediate portion rotatably mounted on said bar,and end portions of said shaft rotatably mounted in said spaced ringsand separably connected to said intermediate portion.

'10. In sheet gripping means for a rotary sheet carrier having a pair ofoppositely spaced rings, a gripper bar detachably secured at its ends tosaid rings, a gripper operating shaft extending along said bar, saidshaft comprising an intermediate portion detachablymounted for rotationon said bar, and end portions of said shaft rotatably mounted in saidspaced rings and separably connected to said intermediate portion.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this12th day of August, A. D. 1924.

MARIA LOUISA WVHITE, Ewecutrim on the Estate of Bruce Clark White,Deceased.

